Pyrotechnic composition



l/ALTER T. SCHEELE, OF HACKENSACK, NEW JEB$EY, ASSIGNOR To GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.

PYROTECHNIO COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may 00% 061%:

Be it known that l, lVALTER T. Sorrnnnn, a citizen of Germany, and having made application for citizenship in the United States, and a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pyrotechnic Composition, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pyrotechnics and particularly the making of colored lights which are used not only for stars of rockets but also for signal lights and many other purposes applied in the manufacture of fireworks.

I am aware that many processes are to be found in practice but most of these processes contain as a vitalsubstance for pro ducing the colored lights, chlorates of the elements of barium, strontium, sodium, antimony, mercury, etc, together with sulphur or a sulphide and are easily ignited, but such combinations are decidedly dangerous because not only are they very sensitive to blows and friction but they are even liable to ignite spontaneously, thus the sulphur which is necessary to be added to such chlorates in order to cause complete combustion of the mixture, oxidizes easily to sulphuric acid which then accelerates the reaction until it becomes so rapid that the mass ignites by itself. Even if the sulphur is replaced by the sulphides it will be dangerous to handle such mixtures.

Mixtures containing chlorates of the elements of barium, strontium, sodium, antimony, mercury and sulphur also metallic aluminum, or shellac are especially dangerous and may ignite spontaneously if kept at 100 F.

The same observation will be made if the chlorates, nitrates or nitrites or the perchlorates or the carbonates of the elements of barium, strontium, sodium,antimony, merury, etc, are applied in such pyrotechnic mixtures.

My invention relates to a pyrotechnic mixture or a colored flare mixture which will overcome all these disadvantages and furnish a flare or colored light, which is not dangerous to handle, which-will not explode, nor is sensitive to blows and friction, will not ignite spontaneously, further, will burn with great brilliancy, has an extraordinary high candle power, and extraordinary long and brilliant colored flame, said flame re- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 18.22,

Application filed December 9, 1919. Serial No. 343,573.

volving in the air, producing very little smoke and slag but a great amount of heat.

As an illustration of this my invention 1 give the following example I take 140 grams of hexamethylenetetramine C l-l ll, and dissolve the same in 700 grams of distilled water. This solution, after being filtered, I designate No. 1. I also take 237.2? grams of strontium nitrate ('SrNflQ and dissolve the same in 1500 grams of distilled water. This solution. after being filtered, I mark No. 2. Now I place solution No. 1 in an ice cooler and slowly add under stirring solution No. 2. After reaction has taken place, I evaporate these two combined solutions to concentration and allow the resulting double salt fully to crystallize. Thus I receive a double salt in the form of a new composition product having the formula O H ll SrNO which after being dried burns with a brilliant long red sharp pointed flame, and is characterized by its great candle power and its long lasting burning capacity and also the evo' lution of a great amount of heat and a very small amount of slag.

I do not confine myself entirely to the combination of the elements of barium, strontium, sodium, antimony, and mercury, in the form as nitrates, as my invention may also be applied to the chlorides, the chlorates, the nitrites to the carbonates and the perchlorates.

in order to make the double salt hexamethylenetetramine strontium nitrate more voluminous, carbon, metallic magnesium or aluminum in powder form or any combustible matter may be added.

Another point of this invention is that the hexamethylenetetramine strontium nitrate composition matter furnishes ample fuel without the addition of sulphur which is very important for this invention, as the elimination of sulphur for a pyrotechnical mixture will avoid to a great extent the formation of annoying smoke upon burning the same.

As a further proof of the formation of a new composition of matter during the preparation of hexamethylenetetramine strontium nitrate herein described, the combination of such composition matter is almost composed of the equivalent of the hexamethylenetetramine and the strontium nitrate.

Another feature of the invention is that the composition product hexamethylenete trsmine strontium nitrate Wlll not ignite, 1'5 heated to 100 F. Further. that the composition product is not endangered by spontaneous combustion. nor will the same explode or prove sensitive to blows and friction, in other Words a pyrotechnic com pound absolutely safe to handle and Well adapted "for the purposes mentioned above.

ll het I claim is 1. A pyrotechnic composition 'metter consisting of he);emethylenetetrzimine and strontium nitrate.

2. A pyrotechnic composition matter consisting of hexemethylenetetramine and strontium nitrate in the proportions of 140 to 237.27, respectively. p

The process of making hexemethylenetetramine strontium nitrate which comprises mixing hexamethylenetetramine with strontium nitrate.

4-. A pyrotechnic composition comprising hexamethylenetetramine and strontium nitrate which, 'npon ignition, burns With a. long revolving r d flame of high candle power and intense heat.

5. A composition of: matter comprising l .exanicthylenetel'i'zimine and strontium nitrate in the form of a double salt with the addition of e finely powdered'rnetat 6. Acomposition of matter consisting of a combination of .hexainethylenetetramine and strontium nitrate in the form of acrystallized double salt which Will not ignite at temperatures below 100 F.

Signed at Vfeshington, District of Golumloie, this th day of November, 1919.

DR. WALIER T. SCHEELE. 

